


A Thousand Gifts

by aprilmoon08



Category: lotr - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 06:54:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3318143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aprilmoon08/pseuds/aprilmoon08
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erestor has to choose between duty and desire</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Thousand Gifts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ervinaie](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Ervinaie).



Title: A Thousand Gifts  
Author: Aprilmoon  
Part: 1/1  
Characters: Glorfindel/Erestor  
Rating: NC-17  
Disclaimer: none  
Timeline: 2nd Age  
Warning: none  
Beta: None  
Written for: Ervinaie  
Summary: Erestor is caught between duty and desire.  
Authors Note: I own nothing. All the Elves belong to Tolkien, and I am not making any money on this. 

 

Erestor had walked to his room after a long day at work. He had put on his sleeping pants and a nice loose shirt, poured him some nice wine, and sat in his most comfy chair. He would have grabbed his book of poetry, but at the moment it seemed pointless at the moment. Everything seemed pointless at the moment, and he wept. There was nothing that was joyous in his life. He had no wife, no children, no friends, or a lover. He had nothing. Well, he had one thing. He had his job. What more could anyone want? 

Erestor snuggled deeper into his chair in an attempted to find some type of warmth. He turned his head, towards the fire, and just stared at it for the moment. The book he held limply in his hand threatened to fall from his grip at any moment, but he could not bring himself to tighten his hold. He could feel the book begin to slip just a little more just like his resolve at the moment. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, hoping it would quell the storm or emotions that swirled around in him. He closed his eye, and took a deep breath. He kept the routine going for a few moments, until the feelings subsided. If only he could stop feeling this way, then maybe everything would not seem so lonely. 

The image of everyone in the Hall of Fire having a good time had stabbed him deep. When people had started avoiding him, it had cut him deep. He would arrive to meals just as everyone was finishing. When people would gather for celebrations, he noticed he was being left out of invitations. He then noticed during his working hours, that as he was about to finish his work more would appear, that needed his immediate attention. Elrond never offered to stay late and help. It was if he had committed a sin of sins, and he had an idea where his fall of grace laid. 

Lord Glorfindel. 

One could say it had all started when Lord Glorfindel had arrived. He had instantly lost his heart to the golden elf, and since then had not been able to move on from his heart’s desire. He had friended the Slayer, and had spent many a night playing chess or just talking, and after many nights it seemed that Glorfindel had started to drift away make other friends. He had been informed, by Lindir, that Glorfindel interest ventured toward the fairer sex. He had been deceived by someone that he thought was a friend, but alas, he was not. 

When Erestor had gone to the Hall of Fire to find where everyone had gone. He opened the doors, and just stopped 

When he arrived he had found everyone there. Elrond was playing with his children. Lindir was sitting with other minstrels, near the warriors. Glorfindel was sitting amongst a group of his admirers telling stories of old. Erestor noticed Glorfindel’s hand ghost down to touch the knee of young healer. His heart sank, and as he looked around the room, he realized no one wanted him there. No one seemed to notice his presence it made him feel lonely, and second best at the moment. After scanning the room one last time, he turned and left to go back to his rooms. 

Entering the sanctuary of his rooms he felt the weight of the world fall somewhat away, and here he could find his solace. 

Erestor opened his eyes, and the memory faded itself behind another locked door. Erestor let the book fall to the floor, and did nothing to retrieve it. He reached over and picked up his glass of wine, and had consumed it quickly. It was then he realized he had chosen the stronger vintage, and when he had consumed it so quickly he had not realized how quickly it would go to his head. He was so light headed, that when he rose from chair the world seemed to hit him like a stone. He reached out to steady himself, but in the process had tripped over the fallen book on the floor. He had not realized what happened until it was too late. 

When Erestor had tripped over the book, he was trying his best to right himself, and he just couldn’t seem to catch himself from falling. He just kept trying to catch himself, and before he knew it his head had hit the something hard, like a table or maybe it was the floor. He felt his head hit something thick and heavy before he realized it, everything seem to go fuzzy. But then everything had started to go black, and then darkness started to cover him like shroud. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but as the darkness took over he had one thought he was trying to hold onto. The thought was of a golden dream and silver. 

Erestor had started to stir. He wasn’t sure what had happened, or where he was but all he could think of at the moment was how his head hurt. He was trying to open his eyes, but something was stopping him from opening them. As he began to reach up, to remove whatever was covering his eyes, he felt a hand pull his away. He wasn’t sure where he was, but at the moment, it didn’t matter. His head hurt something fierce, and he was so tired, but he was trying to make sense of what was going on. 

The bed shifted a bit as an unknown elf had lowered them self onto the bed, and started their examination of Erestor. Erestor could feel the elf shift on the bed trying to get closer to him. He could feel the elf lift up a bit, and reach behind him to adjust something, but he wasn’t sure what it was he was doing. Erestor could feel himself be lifted up a bit, and then he was laid against the unknown elf he something seemed to smell familiar, but he just couldn’t figure out what it was. But then again, he was starting to realize something, he couldn’t think of who he was at the moment. He closed his eyes for a moment, and let the elf adjust whatever was behind him; he tried to make sense of what was going on. His mind was so fuzzy, and every moment he tried to clear it, it just seem to wear him out that much more. His mind was trying to come back to the present, and as it was it brought him back to the familiar unnamed scent. As he was trying to place the scent he started to grow weary, and started to slip back into unconsciousness. 

Elrond had come into the room to examine Erestor after they had found him unconscious in his room. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but he was glad when he had been alerted about Erestor. He could honestly say that when Glorfindel had noticed Erestor’s abrupt departure, and followed after him, he was more than glad. He was extremely grateful. When he had been alerted to the accident, they had thought at first Erestor had been attacked. He wasn’t sure what happened, but what he did know was that Erestor had hit his head; he had lost a lot of blood. It had only been only by grace of the Valar he was still alive. Most wounds of this caliber were fatale, but it seemed that Erestor was pulling through it. 

He noticed that Erestor had started to wake up. It had relieved his heart to see his old friend starting to regain consciousness. He could see that Erestor trying to remove the bandages from his eyes, and he knew he needed to make sure that they were not removed before they needed to be. He needed to make sure that Erestor was resting his eyes, so that everything could heal properly. It would help ease some of the strain on his brain. He thought by lessening the strain, he could help lessen the pressure. He could only hope he was right. 

He sat on Erestor’s bed, and had gently raised him up gently, and laid him against his chest. He wanted to get Erestor to a more upright position, so he could examine him easier. As he laid Erestor against him he could hear someone come in. At first, he wasn’t sure who it was, but when he looked over he could see it was Glorfindel. The warrior had been doing his best to figure out what was going on with Erestor, and it seemed every time he turned around, there he was. He watched as Glorfindel approached the bed, and as he had Erestor lying against him, he watched the warrior move, and adjust the pillows, so he could get Erestor in a more upright position. He wasn’t sure how good it was going to do, since his patient had now just fallen back into another healing sleep. He wasn’t sure just what had happened when Glorfindel had found Erestor, but he did have his questions he would be asking Glorfindel later.

Elrond laid Erestor against the pillows, and started to examine his head. The wound had been healing nicely, and at the moment he could see no other visible, and that no other wounds were present. There was no infection he could see, or smell, and everything was healing nicely. The only thing he was concerned about was the fact that Erestor was sleeping too much. It seemed that they could not keep him awake long enough to ask him any questions, and when he did wake up all they could do is look around and fall back to sleep. It was if Erestor wasn’t sure he wanted to be here anymore, and was falling back into healing sleeps, so that he didn’t have face anyone. What was he so afraid of, and why didn’t he want to come back?

The questions rested on his mind, and as he finished the exam he kept wondering what it was that Erestor was afraid of, and why. Once done with examining Erestor, he had alerted one of the healers to go retrieve fresh herbs and bandages, and to bring some food for all of them. He knew Glorfindel wasn’t going to be leaving anytime soon, so they might well get something to eat. He needed to get food into Erestor as soon as possible, or all the work he had done would be for naught. 

When the exam was done, Elrond just looked at Erestor for a moment. Everything that was running through his mind seems to keep coming back to the same question. Why was he not waking up? The question kept running through his mind, and when he thought he was coming to some conclusion the healer had returned with the items requested.  
Elrond ground up the herbs, and seeped them into the hot water one of the servants had brought. It had seemed that along with their food, she had brought some extra hot water for the herbs. Or had she? When he went to pick up the tea pot, he noticed that the servant girl and the healer were smiling at each other. He would have said something, but as the thought was leaving his mind he heard Glorfindel tell the couple they were no longer needed, and dismissed both of them. Elrond gave Glorfindel the eyebrow of doom, and Glorfindel gave him jaundice look of whatever. It never stopped surprising Elrond how bold Glorfindel was becoming each and every day. 

He was glad when the Slayer had stopped being such a wall flower, and was coming into his own. It had saddened his heart to know he had been lonely, and gladdened his heart when he and Erestor were spending time together. When they had stopped meeting up he had thought there had been a falling out. He had never found out what, or if anything, had happened, but something had not been right between the two ever since. 

Elrond poured hot water over the herbs, and had lifted Erestor up so he could drink the concoction. He was able to get Erestor to wake up, so he could get some of the tea down him. He was rewarded when a pair of chocolate brown eyes opened up, and stared back at him with a moment of clarity, then confusion. He wasn’t sure what it was that had made the change, but he was going to try and find out. The expression had worried him, but he thought it was just a fleeting moment and nothing to worry about at the moment. He would ask him about it later. 

Elrond kept giving Erestor small amounts of the tea until the tea was completely gone. He had let Glorfindel help Erestor with the tea in hopes it would renew their friendship, and bring them closer together. He knew the two were destined to be together, and he was going to give it a bit of shove. He was hoping it would not end in disaster, but then again anything could happen when it came to these two. 

After the tea was finished Glorfindel took the cup from Erestor, and placed in on the side table. He wanted it out of the way, so it would not hinder Erestor when he started eating. He wanted to make sure that Erestor’s needs were taken care of, and that the counselor could eat his meal without having to worry about anything being in the way. After taking the cup away, he stood up and went over to the tray, and collected Erestor a bowl of piping hot stew, and some freshly baked bread. He placed it on an eating tray, and brought it over to Erestor. What happened next surprised Elrond and Glorfindel both. 

He ate everything within reach, and didn’t leave a drop. 

It really wasn’t that he didn’t eat, but how he was eating his food. Erestor often would eat his food in a very elegant way with all the signs of good breeding, but this wasn’t one of those moments. When he started eating his food, he was devouring it like a starving elf. He was scooping large amounts of stew onto his spoon, and shoveling it in faster than he could chew. He would pull off large pieces of bread, dip them into the stew, and pressed it between his lips.

Glorfindel watched as Erestor closed his eyes and just savored each bite. The strange thing was he didn’t think Erestor actually tasted anything. The spoon moved way too quickly from bowl to mouth for anyone to think that Erestor actually tasted anything. Glorfindel would have intervened, but he was afraid he might lose a finger if he did try to take Erestor’s food from him. It made Glorfindel think about how elflings acted when presented with food on an empty tummy. It made him smile to see the counselor in an unguarded moment, when there was nothing dividing them apart. 

He remembered how they use to talk, and play chess all the time. Then Lindir started convincing him that he needed to get out more, and he should let Erestor do his work. The biggest blow had come Lindir had said that Erestor preferred females. It was if he had lost all hope at that moment, and it taken all he had not to lose what little hope he had, but it was gone. Now, as he sat here with Erestor, and watched him eat he thought he could at least restart his friendship back up with the counselor. He could only hope it was not too late. 

Erestor had just finished his bowl of stew, and then thrust his bowl towards Glorfindel. Glorfindel was going to take the bowl away, and start clearing up. But then he heard something he thought he would never hear. Erestor was not asking, but demanding more food. 

Elrond and Glorfindel just looked at each in amazement. Erestor was just not being Erestor, and neither knew what to think about it. Glorfindel had smiled at Erestor, but the gesture was not returned. Then the next thing happened, and neither could believe it. 

“I want more.”

Elrond smiled at his counselor. 

“Of course Erestor, and you shall have some more. There is more than enough, and I will have one of the servants bring up some more in a moment. But before you have another bowl I want to find out how you are feeling.” 

Erestor had decided he wasn’t going to answer any questions. He just wanted to eat, and eat he would. Erestor pushed back the tray Glorfindel had left and the covers on the bed. He swung his legs over the bed, and pushed himself out of the bed. On unsteady legs he was trying to make his way to the table that held the covered soup bowl. Glorfindel and Elrond just watched him travel from the bed to the table. They watched with opened mouths, as he picked up the spoon and just started eating again. 

When the servant had returned with more food, Erestor pushed the empty bowl away, and started eating from the new bowl. He just couldn’t stop, and he wanted so much more. He grabbed at bread and cheese with an unerring accuracy of a hawk. The fruit disappeared in no time as berries and melon were devoured in record time. It was the only thing he could do to keep his eyes from wondering over to Glorfindel. Every time he looked over at him his heart seemed to skip a beat. He was in love with him, and how could he tell him this without ruining whatever they had left. He couldn’t look at Glorfindel without wanting to touch him in a variety of ways. 

Elrond watched his counselor, and had decided that maybe this was a good time for Glorfindel and Erestor to talk some things through. He knew that there was a certain minstrel that needed some guidance on the art of diplomacy when it came to interfering. He only hoped that Glorfindel could reach Erestor’s heart before it too late. 

“Well, it seems Erestor is feeling better, and he is awake. I am going to let Glorfindel stay and watch you while I make some rounds, and check on some other patients. If you need me just have one of the healers come and get me.”

“I am not a child Lord Elrond. I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can Erestor, but after your accident the last thing I want to hear is that you choked to death on something. I want you to stop eating so fast, and savior your food. The Valar brought you back from death once; I don’t want to have to ask a second time. You have been greatly missed my friend.”

Erestor just stared at him with the look he was famous for at council meetings. The look could freeze water if put to good use. Erestor didn’t like being treated like an invalid, or mocked about his condition. He could take care of himself. He had done so for many years, and he wasn’t’ about to let anyone start now. 

Elrond left Erestor and Glorfindel alone in the room, and he actually prayed he was doing the right thing. After the departure Erestor had gone back to staring at his food, and by this time was actually eating like a civilized elf. He heard Glorfindel stand up, and walk across the room to where the table was. He sat down across Erestor, picked up one of the bowls and waited while Erestor took a moment to breath from his gastric onslaught. 

Glorfindel picked up one of the smaller spoons, and started to spoon out some of the stew from the bowl Erestor was eating from. He was more afraid of losing a hand, than being stabbed with a spoon. But then again, if Erestor wanted to stab him he guess he could do so with his spoon, if pushed anyone could do anything. 

Glorfindel had decided that he wasn’t going to sit in silence while the two of them sat here and had their dinner. The two hadn’t spoken in ages, and he had missed the time he had spent with Erestor. When Lindir had told him, ages ago, that Erestor preferred females his heart had sank. It wasn’t until the night of Erestor’s accident, that he had come to the conclusion Lindir had been lying to him all this time. 

When he had approached Lindir about it, he at first had denied, but as he questioned him further, Lindir had finally come clean. He had explained he had told him the lie, so that he would not hurt him. Lindir had gone on about Erestor’s cold heart, and his inability to care about anyone. 

Glorfindel had been furious to the point he almost hit the minstrel, but he knew better than to do that with Elrond around. He would wait till the half-elf was on a diplomatic mission, and then Lindir would end up getting it good. He even had thought of getting one of Lindir’s love interests to do something, but with his luck it would just end back firing on him.

When Glorfindel looked up at Erestor again, he noticed the elf wasn’t even looking up from the bowl. He just kept starting at it as he ate.

“You know we can actually talk. You know…like we use to. I have missed our nights together, when we used to talk and play chess. “ 

 

“I thought you liked hanging out with your other friends? “

“Erestor, I am sorry for the misunderstanding. You have to understand I was fooled by Lindir as well.”

Glorfindel had stopped when Erestor’s head snapped up. The look on his face was sheer anger. All he could think of, at that very moment, was that if he could have dug a hole for himself, and crawled in, he would have at that very moment. 

“I am sorry Erestor. I shouldn’t have said that to you. I know what a difficult position he has put you in at times. I thought he was a friend as well. “  
Erestor pushed the bowl away, and laid down his spoon. He leaned back into the chair, and closed his eyes to try and regain some of his composure. He sat there for a moment trying to find the right words, that would not betray him, but he wasn’t sure that would happen. Since he had every reason to think he was about to betray himself, he decide to play his hand and bet the lot. What more could be done if Glorfindel decided that he wasn’t worthy of his love and affection.

“The first time I saw you I just wanted to be your friend. I wanted to make you feel like you had a safe harbor to go to if you needed anything, and I wanted to be that harbor. But then the inevitable happened, I fell in love with you. I knew you were the one, and when I was told you preferred females, my heart just broke. I knew I would never have you, and so I knew that if I could have your friendship, that would have to be enough. But it wasn’t enough, I wanted more. Then I saw you in the Hall of Fire with not females but males, and then one time I saw you in the garden with someone. It was the first time I just wanted to stop existing, because I thought there was no hope. You stopped coming to see me. Our talks and playing chess stopped, and as you grew more popular, you just stopped coming around. It was like you trying to find and excuse, and there was nothing I could do. “  
Glorfindel just sat there staring at Erestor. He could not believe everything he had just heard. He had not known any of this, and if he had things would have been different. He could have had Erestor so long ago. He could have had him in his arms at night. He could have been there to help fight away the cold, and the lonely nights. He could have had all this time with him, and he didn’t. The lies that were told to him had stripped him of possible memories, and cherished moments of love he could have shared with Erestor. He could have letters to write, and be read to his love interest. He could have spent nights making love to Erestor instead of taking countless elves to his bed for empty pleasure. He could have had so much, and it was taken away by stupid, jealous lies. 

He could feel his temper rise at Erestor’s confession. He wanted to take the elf before him in his arms, and make mad passionate love to him. But he could not do that, not with Erestor in this condition. He would have to move slowly and be gentle with him. He leaned his head back, closed his eyes and counted to ten. He took several deep breaths, and when he opened his eyes again he realized he needed to do something. He needed to show the elf he had loved for so long how much he loved him. 

Glorfindel brought his head back up so he could face Erestor. Erestor looked so vulnerable at the moment, and all he could think of was how misunderstood the counselor was thought of at the moment. He wasn’t this cruel monster everyone thought he was all the time. He was like everybody else, who had to do things they might not like to do. He had to be the one who took responsibility when things went wrong. But right now, at this moment, Erestor looked like everyone else. He was just another elf wanting the same things as everyone else. And he was going to give it to him, and he would give it to him to the highest measure.

Glorfindel believed that words could not express what he wanted to convey at that very moment. He put down his spoon, and pushed himself away from the table. He got up and moved to the side where Erestor was at, and gently pulled him up from his chair. He didn’t want to hurt him anymore than he was at the moment, so he knew he had to be gentle at all cost. 

Erestor looked at him with trepidation in his eyes, and for the first time he didn’t know what Glorfindel was going to do. He thought he was going to tell them that they could be friends, but there would be nothing more than that. But, that is not what happened. 

“Erestor there are no amount of words, or apologies that could express how I feel about you right now. All I can say is that I have loved you from the first moment I saw you, and when I rode into Imladris that very first day, I had to use every ounce of strength to hold myself in check. I wanted you from the first moment I saw you, and every moment after. But I thought I had lost all hope when, I as well, had been deceived. I love you from the beginning until now, and then onto forever.”

Glorfindel pulled Erestor into his arms, and kissed him. He put forth every ounce of his being into the kiss, and when he thought all was lost, Erestor reciprocated with the full measure of his love. He had put every ounce of longing into that kiss. And as he sent forth all of his love, he could feel Erestor doing the same.  
The kiss would have gone on forever if Elrond hadn’t decided to stop in, and check on his patient. But in some ways, it did go on forever. They had both felt the coming of their fea, like fireflies to a flame, but neither spoke of it. When the kiss had ended, Glorfindel had pulled Erestor into his arms, and rested him under his chin. Elrond said nothing, but the look had said everything. 

Glorfindel laid his forehead against Erestor’s, and just lived in the moment of pure bliss and love. 

Glorfindel could see Erestor’s eyes looking heavy, so he decided to send his new lover to bed. As he placed him back underneath the covers he could see the soft pleading look of the counselor’s eyes. It was the look that begged him to stay, and to never leave him again. The answer to the question had been yes, he would stay, and he would so forever. 

One day he would tell Erestor about how he saved him by binding their souls together. But that was for another day when Erestor was well enough to try and kill him on his own


End file.
